Meet the Stars of the NHRA Mello Yello Series
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You know that I have 14 nieces and nephews, so I am all in when it comes to kids. I was recently introduced to Flat Stanley. I had no idea who Flat Stanley was until I got a letter from John Sanderson in Texas. John had cut a piece of paper in the shape of a man and colored him. John named him Flat Stanley. He asked me to take him with me on an excursion.

Flat Stanley had a blast with our busy schedule. He was in Ohio coloring Easter eggs and went to a number of family dinners during the holiday. He also helped with chores around the house, like working in the greenhouse getting the plants ready for the garden. He loved getting the chance to paint pottery with the boys. I had to go to Atlanta and cook for the team, so I took Flat Stanley on a plane trip to the races. He worked with me in the kitchen as well as visited with Jeg Coughlin Jr. John has a lot of catching up to do with Flat Stanley. I would like to thank John for thinking of me and allowing me to be part of such a fun project.

I remember when Aunt Vi used to come to town when I was a kid. She is the best! She would always let me help cook. It may have been helping make cookies during the holidays or canning tomatoes in the summer. One of my favorite things was making cheese. I think that it is very important to include kids as much as possible when making dinner. The recipe that I am going to share with you this time is one for the kids. This is also a fun activity for kids at a party.

Procedure
Bake the pita bread at 350 degrees until it turns a little firm (approximately four minutes). Do not overcook the pita bread or it will become too brittle. Remove from oven and let sit until room temperature.

Mix together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla until smooth and creamy.

This is not an adult project except for getting things ready. Make it simple for the kids to enjoy. Have a variety of fruit cut, the pita baked, and the cream-cheese mix done before the kids arrive. Let the kids decorate their own pita and eat their creation.

While I was in Atlanta, I met several nice folks. Chris Lopez from Coca-Cola brought over some of the executives from the Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta to get a feel for the races. He brought them in the kitchen Friday to show them the unique situation we have at the track. It is fun and interesting for people to see the world of food inside the world of racing. We discussed the barbecue sauce that I made with Citrus Full Throttle.

When they left, I started thinking about the different Full Throttle flavors and how versatile they really are. I was thinking that the orange one would be great in a raspberry pie. I thought that the liquid would thicken a little to make it very moist, but at the same time, the raspberries would give the pie structure. The orange would be a great citrus flavor, and the sweetness of the Full Throttle would offset the tartness of the raspberries. I was sold on the idea, and I knew how the crew would love to have a piece of warm pie with ice cream. I went back to the hotel that night and wrote the recipe that I am going to share with you. Many times when I create a dish, I may have to alter it a little, but this one was a hit the first time out. I have to tell you that this is the best raspberry pie that I have ever tasted.

This is a very simple recipe and can be made in no time. Most people don’t make piecrust anymore and really don’t have the time for the mess. It is fine to buy a premade piecrust. If you do make your own piecrust, try removing a 1/2 cup of the flour from your recipe and replacing it with a 1/2 cup of ground pecans for an added touch to this pie.

Procedure
Roll out the bottom dough for the pie and place it in a 9-inch pie pan.
Gently mix the raspberries, Orange Full Throttle, sugar, and cornstarch together.
Place this mix in the pan on the bottom dough.
Lay the top dough over the pan and crimp it to the bottom dough.
Bake at 350 degrees until done, approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.

I call this an avocado dressing because I use it as a salad dressing. It can be used for a number of other items too. It makes a great dip for chips and vegetables, or it is really good on tacos. If you are making any type of Mexican food, you can replace the sour cream with the avocado dressing. I have to tell you that it does have some heat that will wake up your taste buds instantly. You will not want to use all of the jalapeno called for in the recipe if you do not like spicy food.

I have three brothers, two sisters, six nieces, five nephews, two great-nieces, and one great-nephew (at this point, you never know when the count is going up). So, over the years, I have learned what kids like to eat. Cinnamon toast is always a hit. If you are having cinnamon toast, it seems like there is just never enough bread in the house. Mom will start baking bread days before we need it if everyone is coming home just so we have enough for all the meals.

I have decided to make a recipe that is easy and fun for kids (and adults) to eat. You can make a whole basket of these in no time. They can stand alone, or they are a great addition to breakfast.

Procedure
Toast the bread on an oven pan under the broiler. (Make sure to turn the bread so that it all gets evenly toasted.)
Put the toast in a stainless-steel bowl.
Drizzle the melted butter over the toast while gently stirring.
Mix the cinnamon and sugar together and add to the bowl all at once.
Gently stir until the toast is evenly coated.